The disclosed examples relate to servicing a wellbore and, in particular, to the introduction of red mud lost circulation materials into a wellbore to reduce the loss of fluid into a subterranean formation.
A natural resource such as oil or gas residing in a subterranean formation can be recovered by drilling a well bore into the formation. A wellbore is typically drilled while circulating a drilling fluid through the wellbore. Among other things, the circulating drilling fluid may lubricate the drill bit, carry drill cuttings to the surface, and balance the formation pressure exerted on the well bore. One problem associated with drilling may be the undesirable loss of drilling fluid to the formation. Such lost fluids typically may go into, for example, fractures induced by excessive mud pressures, into pre-existing open fractures, or into large openings with structural strength in the formation. This problem may be referred to as “lost circulation,” and the sections of the formation into which the drilling fluid may be lost may be referred to as “lost circulation zones.” The loss of drilling fluid into the formation is undesirable, inter alia, because of the expense associated with the drilling fluid lost into the formation, loss of time, additional casing strings and, in extreme conditions, well abandonment. In addition to drilling fluids, problems with lost circulation may also be encountered with other fluids, for example, spacer fluids, completion fluids (e.g., completion brines), fracturing fluids, and cement compositions that may be introduced into a well bore.
One method that has been developed to control lost circulation involves the placement of lost circulation materials into the lost circulation zone. Conventional lost circulation materials may include fibrous, lamellated, or granular materials. The lost circulation materials may be placed into the formation, inter alia, as a separate lost circulation pill in an attempt to control and/or prevent lost circulation. For a number of reasons, use of lost circulation materials may not provide a desirable level of lost circulation control in all circumstances.
Lost circulation materials may be incorporated into a treatment fluid, and upon encountering a lost circulation zone or more generally, a fracture or void, the lost circulation materials may bridge the zone, fracture, void, etc. to stop fluid loss. The choice of a lost circulation material may be based on the magnitude of fluid loss, size and shape of the lost circulation material, and cost of the lost circulation material.